Stand that enables a mobile device to read barcodes in presentation mode

ABSTRACT

A presentation stand for enabling a mobile device to read barcodes in presentation mode includes a cradle portion that is connected to the base portion. The cradle portion is configured to hold the mobile device in a position for reading a barcode. A shield portion is attached to the cradle portion and configured to modify a field of view of a camera of the mobile device. The shield portion is also configured to modify a field of illumination of an illumination source of the mobile device. The shield portion includes a camera optic system that is at least partially aligned with the camera of the mobile device when the mobile device is held in the cradle portion. The shield portion also includes an illumination optic system that is at least partially aligned with the illumination source of the mobile device when the mobile device is held in the cradle portion.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/212,392 filed on Dec. 6, 2018. The aforementioned application isexpressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

A barcode is an optical machine-readable representation of information.Devices for identifying or extracting information from barcodes areoften referred to as barcode readers or barcode reading devices.Image-based barcode readers operate by capturing and decoding images ofbarcodes. In typical operation, one or more light sources are activatedto illuminate a region of space that includes a barcode. Light isreflected from the barcode toward the barcode reader. One or more lenseswithin the barcode reader focus an image of the barcode onto an imagesensor, which is a two-dimensional array of photosensors (i.e.,detectors that are sensitive to electromagnetic radiation). Thephotosensors are read electronically to provide a two-dimensional arrayof image data corresponding to the barcode. A decoder then processes theimage data and extracts the information contained in the barcode.

Some barcode readers are capable of operating in either a “hand-heldmode” or a “presentation mode.” When a barcode reader is operating inhand-held mode, a user holds the reader in his/her hand, manuallypositions the reader so that a barcode is located within the reader'sfield of view, and activates a trigger located on the reader. Thebarcode is read in response to activation of the trigger. In contrast,when a barcode reader is operating in presentation mode, an item bearinga barcode is presented to the reader rather than the reader beingpresented to the barcode. In presentation mode, barcodes are readautomatically when they are detected within the reader's field of view.When a reader is operating in presentation mode, it is typicallydesirable for the reader to be held in a fixed position without the userhaving to hold the reader in place. A stand may be utilized for thispurpose.

Mobile devices (e.g., smartphones, tablet computers) are in widespreaduse today, most often in connection with entertainment, communicationsand office productivity. Many mobile devices include a camera, andapplications have been developed for using the camera to read barcodes.

SUMMARY

In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a presentationstand is disclosed for enabling a mobile device to read barcodes inpresentation mode. The mobile device may include a camera and a firstillumination source. The presentation stand may include a base portion,a cradle portion connected to the base portion, and a shield portionattached to the cradle portion. The cradle portion may be configured tohold the mobile device in a position for reading a barcode. The shieldportion may be configured to modify a field of view of the camera and afield of illumination of the first illumination source. The shieldportion may include a camera optic system that is at least partiallyaligned with the camera of the mobile device when the mobile device isheld in the cradle portion. The shield portion may include anillumination optic system that is at least partially aligned with thefirst illumination source of the mobile device when the mobile device isheld in the cradle portion.

The camera and the camera optic system may define a barcode reading lenssystem. The barcode reading lens system may have a system field of viewthat is different from the field of view of the camera. The illuminationoptic system and the first illumination source of the mobile device maydefine an exposure illumination system. The exposure illumination systemmay emit a system illumination field with a system angular size that isdifferent from an angular size of a first illumination field emitted bythe first illumination source.

The shield portion may further include one or more reflective surfaces.The one or more reflective surfaces may be configured to redirect anoptical pathway of the system field of view from a first direction thatis perpendicular to a back surface of the mobile device to a seconddirection that intersects with a region of space where the barcode islocated. The one or more reflective surfaces may also be configured toredirect the system illumination field from the first direction to thesecond direction.

The camera and the camera optic system may define a barcode reading lenssystem. The barcode reading lens system may have a system field of viewthat is different from the field of view of the camera. The illuminationoptic system may include a target generating structure that is at leastpartially aligned with the first illumination source when the mobiledevice is held in the cradle portion of the presentation stand. Thetarget generating structure may be configured to modify a firstillumination field emitted by the first illumination source to generatea targeting pattern.

The shield portion may further include one or more reflective surfaces.The one or more reflective surfaces may be configured to redirect anoptical pathway of the system field of view from a first direction thatis perpendicular to a back surface of the mobile device to a seconddirection that intersects with a region of space where the barcode islocated. The one or more reflective surfaces may also be configured toredirect the targeting pattern from the first direction to the seconddirection.

The camera and the camera optic system may define a barcode reading lenssystem. The barcode reading lens system may have a system field of viewthat is different from the field of view of the camera. The illuminationoptic system may include at least one illumination optic system lens.The at least one illumination optic system lens and the firstillumination source of the mobile device may define an exposureillumination system. The exposure illumination system may emit a systemillumination field with a system angular size that is different from anangular size of a first illumination field emitted by the firstillumination source. The mobile device may further include a secondillumination source. The illumination optic system may further include atarget generating structure that is at least partially aligned with thesecond illumination source when the mobile device is held in the cradleportion of the presentation stand. The target generating structure maybe configured to modify a second illumination field emitted by thesecond illumination source to generate a targeting pattern.

The shield portion may further include one or more reflective surfaces.The one or more reflective surfaces may be configured to redirect anoptical pathway of the system field of view from a first direction thatis perpendicular to a back surface of the mobile device to a seconddirection that intersects with a region of space where the barcode islocated, redirect the system illumination field from the first directionto the second direction, and redirect the targeting pattern from thefirst direction to the second direction.

The shield portion may include a first chamber and a second chamber. Thecamera optic system may be housed in the first chamber. The illuminationoptic system may be housed in the second chamber. The first chamber maybe optically isolated from the second chamber.

A first connector may be configured to be connected to the mobiledevice. A second connector may be configured to be connected to a powersource. A cable may connect the first connector to the second connector.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, apresentation stand is disclosed for enabling a mobile device to readbarcodes in presentation mode. The mobile device may include a cameraand a first illumination source. The camera may include a camera lens.The presentation stand may include a base portion configured forplacement on a surface, a cradle portion connected to the base portion,a shield portion attached to the cradle portion, a camera optic systemwithin the shield portion, and an illumination optic system within theshield portion. The cradle portion may be configured to hold the mobiledevice in a position for reading a barcode. The camera optic system mayinclude at least one camera optic system lens that is at least partiallyaligned with the camera lens when the mobile device is held in thecradle portion of the presentation stand. The at least one camera opticsystem lens may be configured to modify a field of view of the cameralens to provide a system field of view that is different in angular sizefrom the field of view of the camera lens. The illumination optic systemmay be at least partially aligned with the first illumination source ofthe mobile device when the mobile device is held in the cradle portion.

The illumination optic system may include at least one illuminationoptic system lens that is at least partially aligned with the firstillumination source of the mobile device when the mobile device is heldin the cradle portion of the presentation stand. The at least oneillumination optic system lens may be configured to modify a firstillumination field emitted by the first illumination source to provide asystem illumination field with a system angular size that is differentfrom an angular size of the first illumination field. The shield portionfurther may include one or more reflective surfaces. The one or morereflective surfaces may be configured to redirect an optical pathway ofthe system field of view from a first direction that is perpendicular tothe back surface of the mobile device to a second direction thatintersects with a region of space where the barcode is located. The oneor more reflective surfaces may also be configured to redirect thesystem illumination field from the first direction to the seconddirection.

The illumination optic system may include a target generating structurethat is configured to shape a first illumination field emitted by thefirst illumination source into a targeting pattern when the mobiledevice is held in the cradle portion of the presentation stand. Theshield portion may further include one or more reflective surfaces. Theone or more reflective surfaces may be configured to redirect an opticalpathway of the system field of view from a first direction that isperpendicular to the back surface of the mobile device to a seconddirection that intersects with a region of space where the barcode islocated. The one or more reflective surfaces may also be configured toredirect the targeting pattern from the first direction to the seconddirection.

The illumination optic system may include at least one illuminationoptic system lens that is at least partially aligned with the firstillumination source of the mobile device when the mobile device is heldin the cradle portion of the presentation stand. The at least oneillumination optic system lens may be configured to modify a firstillumination field emitted by the first illumination source to provide asystem illumination field with a system angular size that is differentfrom an angular size of the first illumination field. The mobile devicemay further include a second illumination source. The illumination opticsystem may further include a target generating structure that isconfigured to shape a second illumination field emitted by the secondillumination source into a targeting pattern when the mobile device isheld in the cradle portion of the presentation stand. The shield portionmay further include one or more reflective surfaces. The one or morereflective surfaces may be configured to redirect an optical pathway ofthe system field of view from a first direction that is perpendicular tothe back surface of the mobile device to a second direction thatintersects with a region of space where the barcode is located, redirectthe system illumination field from the first direction to the seconddirection, and redirect the targeting pattern from the first directionto the second direction.

The shield portion may include a first chamber and a second chamber. Thecamera optic system may be housed in the first chamber. The illuminationoptic system may be housed in the second chamber. The shield portion mayfurther include a barrier between the first chamber and the secondchamber. The barrier may be configured to optically isolate the firstchamber from the second chamber such that illumination from the firstillumination source does not enter the camera without first reflectingfrom an object within the system field of view.

An arm may extend substantially upward from the base portion. A firstconnector may be positioned within the cradle portion and may beconfigured to be connected to the mobile device. A second connector maybe configured to be connected to a power source. A cable may connect thefirst connector to the second connector and extend through at least aportion of the arm.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a systemfor reading barcodes is disclosed. The system may include a mobiledevice that includes a camera, a first illumination source, a processor,memory in electronic communication with the processor, and a barcodereading application stored in the memory. The system may also include apresentation stand that includes a base portion configured for placementon a surface, a cradle portion connected to the base portion, and ashield portion attached to the cradle portion. The system may alsoinclude a camera optic system within the shield portion. The cameraoptic system may be at least partially aligned with the camera of themobile device when the mobile device is held in the cradle portion. Thecamera optic system and the camera may define a barcode reading lenssystem. The barcode reading lens system may have a system field of viewthat is different from a field of view of the camera. The system mayalso include an illumination optic system within the shield portion. Theillumination optic system may be at least partially aligned with thefirst illumination source when the mobile device is held in the cradleportion. The barcode reading application may be executable by theprocessor to activate the first illumination source in response todetecting a barcode within the system field of view.

The illumination optic system may include at least one illuminationoptic system lens that is at least partially aligned with the firstillumination source of the mobile device when the mobile device is heldin the cradle portion of the presentation stand. The at least oneillumination optic system lens may be configured to modify a firstillumination field emitted by the first illumination source to provide asystem illumination field with a system angular size that is differentfrom an angular size of the first illumination field. The shield portionmay further include one or more reflective surfaces. The one or morereflective surfaces may be configured to redirect an optical pathway ofthe system field of view from a first direction that is perpendicular toa back surface of the mobile device to a second direction thatintersects with a region of space in which the barcode is located. Theone or more reflective surfaces may also be configured to redirect thesystem illumination field from the first direction to the seconddirection.

The illumination optic system may include a target generating structurethat is at least partially aligned with the first illumination sourcewhen the mobile device is held in the cradle portion of the presentationstand. The target generating structure may be configured to shape afirst illumination field emitted by the first illumination source into atargeting pattern. The shield portion may further include one or morereflective surfaces. The one or more reflective surfaces may beconfigured to redirect an optical pathway of the system field of viewfrom a first direction that is perpendicular to a back surface of themobile device to a second direction that intersects with a region ofspace in which the barcode is located. The one or more reflectivesurfaces may also be configured to redirect the targeting pattern fromthe first direction to the second direction.

The illumination optic system may include at least one illuminationoptic system lens that is at least partially aligned with the firstillumination source of the mobile device when the mobile device is heldin the cradle portion of the presentation stand. The at least oneillumination optic system lens may be configured to modify a firstillumination field emitted by the first illumination source to provide asystem illumination field with a system angular size that is differentfrom an angular size of the first illumination field. The mobile devicemay further include a second illumination source. The illumination opticsystem may further include a target generating structure that is atleast partially aligned with the second illumination source when themobile device is held in the cradle portion of the presentation stand.The target generating structure may be configured to shape a secondillumination field emitted by the second illumination source into atargeting pattern. The shield portion may further include one or morereflective surfaces. The one or more reflective surfaces may beconfigured to redirect an optical pathway of the system field of viewfrom a first direction that is perpendicular to a back surface of themobile device to a second direction that intersects with a region ofspace in which the barcode is located, redirect the system illuminationfield from the first direction to the second direction, and redirect thetargeting pattern from the first direction to the second direction.

The presentation stand may further include an arm extendingsubstantially upward from the base portion, a first connector that ispositioned within the cradle portion and that is configured to beconnected to the mobile device, a second connector that is configured tobe connected to a power source, and a cable that connects the firstconnector to the second connector and that extends through at least aportion of the arm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a presentation stand in accordance with an embodimentof the present disclosure.

FIG. 1A shows the presentation stand of FIG. 1 holding a mobile devicein a position where the mobile device is able to read barcodes inpresentation mode.

FIG. 2 is a top-down, cross-sectional view illustrating some componentsof a mobile device and some components of a shield portion of apresentation stand in accordance with an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 2A is a side view of a presentation stand holding a mobile device.

FIG. 3 is a top-down, cross-sectional view illustrating some componentsof a mobile device and some components of a shield portion of apresentation stand in accordance with another embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 4 is a top-down, cross-sectional view illustrating some componentsof a mobile device and some components of a shield portion of apresentation stand in accordance with another embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of some components within a mobile device thatmay be used with a presentation stand as disclosed herein.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram that illustrates a method that may be performedby a barcode reading application in a mobile device when a presentationstand is being used to enable the mobile device to read barcodes inpresentation mode.

FIG. 7 illustrates a presentation stand in accordance with anotherembodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure is generally related to a presentation stand fora mobile device. As used herein, the term “presentation stand” refers toa stand that enables a mobile device to read barcodes in presentationmode. The term “mobile device” refers to a portable, hand-held computingdevice that includes a camera. A mobile device may also include at leastone illumination source. Some examples of mobile devices include asmartphone, a tablet computer, and a hybrid tablet/smartphone device(often nicknamed a “phablet”). A presentation stand in accordance withthe present disclosure may be configured to enable a mobile device toread barcodes in presentation mode.

FIG. 1 illustrates a presentation stand 100 in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure. The presentation stand 100 enablesa mobile device 102 to read barcodes (such as the barcode 104 shown inFIG. 1) in presentation mode. In the depicted embodiment, the mobiledevice 102 is a smartphone. However, a presentation stand in accordancewith the present disclosure may be utilized in connection with othertypes of mobile devices.

The presentation stand 100 includes a base portion 106. The base portion106 is configured so that it can be placed or mounted on a substantiallyflat surface (e.g., a desk, a table). An arm 108 extends substantiallyupward from the base portion 106.

The presentation stand 100 also includes a cradle portion 110 connectedto the base portion 106. More specifically, the cradle portion 110 isconnected to the arm 108, which is connected to the base portion 106.The cradle portion 110 is configured to hold the mobile device 102 in aposition for reading a barcode 104. In the depicted embodiment, thebarcode 104 is located on a surface 112 that has been placed on top ofthe base portion 106 of the presentation stand 100.

The cradle portion 110 includes several retaining members that hold themobile device 102 in place. These retaining members include a ledge 114at the bottom of the cradle portion 110 and two gripping members 116 a-bon the sides of the cradle portion 110. The gripping members 116 a-b areconfigured to fit securely around the sides of the mobile device 102.

The mobile device 102 includes a camera (which is not shown in FIG. 1).The camera of the mobile device 102 has a field of view. The field ofview of a camera is the part of the world that is visible to the cameraat a particular position and orientation in space. The field of view ofthe camera may be expressed in terms of an angular size.

The mobile device 102 also includes one or more illumination sources(which are also not shown in FIG. 1). Each illumination source emits afield of illumination. The field of illumination emitted by anillumination source refers to the part of the world that is illuminatedby (or, in other words, receives light from) the illumination source.The field of illumination of the illumination source may also beexpressed in terms of an angular size.

The presentation stand 100 includes a shield portion 118 attached to thecradle portion 110. The shield portion 118 may include one or more opticsystems (not shown in FIG. 1) that are configured to enhance thebarcode-reading capabilities of the mobile device 102. Morespecifically, the optic system(s) within the shield portion 118 may beconfigured to modify the field of view of the camera of the mobiledevice 102 and the field of illumination of the illumination source(s)of the mobile device 102, thereby altering the characteristics of imagesthat are captured by the mobile device 102. The optic system(s) withinthe shield portion 118 may alter the characteristics of the capturedimages in such a way that the captured images are more suitable forreading barcodes than they otherwise would be.

The shield portion 118 also includes one or more reflective surfaces(not shown in FIG. 1) that are configured to redirect the field of viewof the camera of the mobile device 102 and the field of illumination ofthe illumination source(s) of the mobile device 102. This makes itpossible for the mobile device 102 to read a barcode 104 even when themobile device 102 is being held in a position where the camera and theillumination source(s) are not directly facing the region of space wherethe barcode 104 is located. As mentioned above, in the depictedembodiment, the barcode 104 is located on a surface 112 that has beenplaced on top of the base portion 106 of the presentation stand 100.However, when the mobile device 102 is placed within the cradle portion110 of the presentation stand 100, the mobile device 102 is not directlyfacing that surface 112. Therefore, without the reflective surface(s)within the shield portion 118, the barcode 104 would not appear withinthe field of view of the camera of the mobile device 102, nor would thebarcode 104 be illuminated by the illumination source(s) of the mobiledevice 102. The reflective surface(s) within the shield portion 118redirect the field of view of the camera of the mobile device 102 sothat the barcode 104 appears within the camera's field of view. Thereflective surface(s) within the shield portion 118 also redirect thefield of illumination of the illumination source(s) of the mobile device102 so that illumination from the illumination source(s) is directedonto the barcode 104.

The presentation stand 100 also includes a mechanism for supplyingelectricity to the mobile device 102. In particular, the presentationstand 100 includes a first connector, a mobile device connector 120,that is positioned within the cradle portion 110 of the presentationstand 100 and that is configured to be connected to the mobile device102. The presentation stand 100 also includes a second connector, anelectrical plug 122, that is configured to be connected to a powersource. A cable 124 connects the mobile device connector 120 to theelectrical plug 122. The cable 124 extends through at least a portion ofthe arm 108 of the presentation stand 100. Supplying electricity to themobile device 102 in this manner enables the battery of the mobiledevice 102 to be charging while the mobile device 102 is being used toread barcodes 104.

Some examples of mobile device connectors 120 include a Lightning®connector, a Universal Serial Bus Type-C (or USB-C) connector, amicro-USB connector, and a mini-USB connector. The type of mobile deviceconnector 120 that should be used depends on the particular type ofmobile device 102 that is being used.

In the depicted embodiment, the electrical plug 122 is configured to beplugged into a standard electrical outlet that is connected to analternating current (AC) power supply. In alternative embodiments, adifferent type of second connector may be used that is capable ofsupplying both power and data to the mobile device 102. For example, thesecond connector may be a USB connector that is configured to beconnected to another computing device. In such an embodiment it would bepossible to both supply electricity to the mobile device 102 (to chargethe battery) and also to transfer data between the mobile device 102 andanother computing device.

In an alternative embodiment, a presentation stand in accordance withthe present disclosure may include a wireless power supply that isconfigured to transfer wireless power via induction to the mobile device102 when the mobile device 102 is engaged with the presentation stand.The presentation stand may also be equipped with a wireless transceiverthat facilitates wireless communication of data between the mobiledevice 102 and another computing device. The wireless transceiver mayoperate in accordance with any suitable wireless communication protocol,such as Bluetooth® and/or an Institute of Electrical and ElectronicsEngineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard (which are commonly referred to asWi-Fi®). A presentation stand in accordance with the present disclosuremay include a wireless power supply and a wireless transceiver insteadof, or in addition to, the connector 120 and the electrical plug 124that are included in the presentation stand 100 shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 1A shows the presentation stand 100 holding the mobile device 102in a position where the mobile device 102 is able to read barcodes 104in presentation mode. In particular, the mobile device 102 has beenplaced within the cradle portion 110 of the presentation stand 100. Thegripping members 116 a-b on the sides of the cradle portion 110 and theledge 114 at the bottom of the cradle portion 110 hold the mobile device102 in place.

While FIGS. 1 and 1A illustrate an example in which the mobile device102 is placed on the presentation stand 100, the presentation stand 100may alternatively include components configured to receive differentsizes and configurations of the mobile device 100 shown in FIG. 1A. Forexample, the cradle portion 110 may include adjustable components (e.g.,adjustable gripping members 116 a-b) that enable mobile devices orbarcode assemblies of different sizes and dimensions to securely fitwithin the cradle portion 110. In this way, the cradle portion 110 canreceive a mobile device 102 with or without a case, including a largerbattery assist case that provides extended battery power or a basic casefor protecting the mobile device 102. Indeed, the cradle portion 110 maybe sized or include components that enable a device assembly to beplaced securely within the cradle portion 110 of the presentation stand100. The device assembly may include a mobile device in addition to abattery assist case including modified optics (e.g., a barcode readingenhancement accessory).

FIG. 2 is a top-down, cross-sectional view illustrating some componentsof a mobile device 202 and some components of a shield portion 218 of apresentation stand 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the presentdisclosure. The mobile device 202 includes a camera 226, which includesa camera lens 228 and an image sensor 230. The mobile device 202 alsoincludes an illumination source 232, which may be a white light source(and which alternatively may be referred to as a flash or anillumination torch). The shield portion 218 includes a camera opticsystem and an illumination optic system. The camera optic systemincludes a lens 234, which may be referred to herein as a camera opticsystem lens 234. The camera optic system also includes a barrier thatdefines an aperture 235. The illumination optic system also includes alens 236, which may be referred to herein as an illumination opticsystem lens 236.

FIG. 2 shows the mobile device 202 when it is being held in the cradleportion 110 of the presentation stand 100 (as shown in FIG. 1A, forexample). In this position, the camera optic system is at leastpartially aligned with the camera 226 and the illumination optic systemis at least partially aligned with the illumination source 232. Morespecifically, the camera optic system lens 234 and the aperture 235 areat least partially aligned with the camera lens 228, and theillumination optic system lens 236 is at least partially aligned withthe illumination source 232.

When the camera optic system of the shield portion 218 is at leastpartially aligned with the camera 226 of the mobile device 202, as shownin FIG. 2, the combined lens system that is formed by the camera lens228, the aperture 235, and the camera optic system lens 234 may bereferred to herein as a barcode reading lens system. Similarly, when theillumination optic system of the shield portion 218 is at leastpartially aligned with the illumination source 232 of the mobile device102, as shown in FIG. 2, the combined illumination system that is formedby the illumination source 232 and the illumination optic system lens236 may be referred to herein as an exposure illumination system.

The camera optic system may be configured to modify the field of view240 of the camera 226 of the mobile device 202 such that the field ofview 238 of the barcode reading lens system is different from the fieldof view 240 of the camera 226 by itself. More specifically, the cameraoptic system lens 234 and the aperture 235 may be configured to modifythe field of view of the camera lens 228 of the mobile device 202 suchthat the angular size of the field of view 238 of the barcode readinglens system is different from the angular size of the field of view 240of the camera 226 by itself. For example, the angular size of the fieldof view 238 of the barcode reading lens system may be significantlysmaller than the angular size of the field of view 240 of the camera 226by itself. This is because the camera 226 may be designed for generalpurpose photography, which often uses a wider lens angle than is neededfor capturing barcode images.

The illumination optic system may be configured to modify the field ofillumination 244 emitted by the illumination source 232 such that thefield of illumination 246 emitted by the exposure illumination system isdifferent from the field of illumination 244 emitted by the illuminationsource 232 by itself. More specifically, the illumination optic systemlens 236 may be configured to modify the field of illumination 244emitted by the illumination source 232 such that the angular size of thefield of illumination 246 emitted by the exposure illumination system isdifferent from the angular size of the field of illumination 244 emittedby the illumination source 232 by itself. For example, in one or moreimplementations, the optic system lens 236 is configured to narrow anangle of illumination of received light, thereby decreasing an angle ofthe field of illumination 246 relative to the field of illuminationemitted by the illumination source 232. Alternatively, the optic systemlens 236 may broaden an angle of illumination of received light, therebyincreasing an angle of the field of illumination 246 relative to thefield of illumination emitted by the illumination source 232. Indeed,the optic illumination system may include a series of multiple lenses(not shown) having different characteristics configured to focus thelight emitted by the illumination source 232 in a variety of ways. Aswill be discussed further in reference to other figures below, theillumination optic system may include additional components to furthermodify one or multiple fields of illumination emitted by illuminationsource(s).

The shield portion 218 includes a first chamber 248 and a second chamber250. The camera optic system (including the camera optic system lens234) is housed in the first chamber 248, and the illumination opticsystem (including the illumination optic system lens 236) is housed inthe second chamber 250. The shield portion 218 additionally includes abarrier 252 between the first chamber 248 and the second chamber 250.The barrier 252 is configured to optically isolate the first chamber 248from the second chamber 250 such that illumination from the illuminationsource 232 does not enter the camera 226 without first reflecting froman object (such as a barcode 104) within the field of view 238 of thebarcode reading lens system.

The shield portion 218 additionally includes a reflective surface 254.When the mobile device 202 is being held in the cradle portion 110 ofthe presentation stand 100 (as shown in FIG. 1A, for example), thereflective surface 254 redirects the optical pathway of the field ofview 238 of the barcode reading lens system. The reflective surface 254also redirects the field of illumination 246 emitted by the exposureillumination system. Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 2A simultaneously, theoptical pathway of the field of view 238 of the barcode reading lenssystem and the field of illumination 246 emitted by the exposureillumination system may be redirected from a first direction 260 that isperpendicular to the back surface 264 of the mobile device 202 to asecond direction 262 that intersects with a region of space where abarcode 104 is located (e.g., the surface 112 on the base portion 106 ofthe presentation stand 200).

The field of view of the barcode reading lens system and the field ofillumination of the exposure illumination system may substantiallyoverlap, both before and after being redirected by the reflectivesurface 254. Thus, the field of illumination emitted by the exposureillumination system may illuminate the field of view of the barcodereading lens system.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the camera optic system includes acamera optic system lens 234 and a barrier that defines an aperture 235.The illumination optic system includes an illumination optic system lens236. In alternative embodiments, however, a camera optic system and/oran illumination optic system may include other types of componentseither in place of or in addition to the components in the optic systemsshown in FIG. 2. In general, a camera optic system may be any set of oneor more components positioned in the field of view of a camera to modifyone or more parameters regarding light received by the camera, such asthe quantity of light received, the optical pathway along which light isreceived, the angular size of the field of view, the depth of field, thefocus distance, and/or the wavelength(s) of light received. Anillumination optic system may be any set of one or more components atleast partially aligned with an illumination source to modify one ormore parameters regarding light emitted by the illumination source. Anoptic system (either a camera optic system or an illumination opticsystem) may include any of various components such as lenses, filters,mirrors, apertures, etc.

FIG. 3 is a top-down, cross-sectional view illustrating some componentsof a mobile device 302 and some components of a shield portion 318 of apresentation stand 100 in accordance with another embodiment of thepresent disclosure. The embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is similar to theembodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 2A, except as discussed below.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the illumination optic system of theshield portion 318 includes a target generating structure 366. When themobile device 302 is being held in the cradle portion 110 of thepresentation stand 100, the target generating structure 366 is at leastpartially aligned with the illumination source 332. The targetgenerating structure 366 is configured to modify the illumination field344 that is emitted by the illumination source 332 to generate atargeting pattern 368. More specifically, the target generatingstructure 366 includes a pair of apertures 370 a-b. These apertures 370a-b are configured to shape the illumination field 344 that is emittedby the illumination source 332 to generate the targeting pattern 368.

The target generating structure 366 may also include a filter 372 thatis configured to pass illumination corresponding to a particular rangeof wavelengths and filter out any illumination having a wavelength thatfalls outside that range. The range of wavelengths that is passed by thefilter 372 may correspond to a particular color, thereby causing thetargeting pattern 368 to have that same color. For example, the filter372 may be configured to pass illumination having a wavelength within arange that corresponds to the color red (e.g., 620-750 nm) and blockillumination having a wavelength outside of that range. This would causethe targeting pattern 368 to appear as a red pattern on the surface 112.

The illumination optic system may also include a lens 336 that isconfigured similarly to the illumination optic system lens 236 discussedpreviously. For example, the lens 336 may be configured to modify thefield of illumination 344 emitted by the illumination source 332.

The reflective surface 354 is configured to redirect both the opticalpathway of the field of view 338 of the barcode reading lens system andthe targeting pattern 368. The manner in which redirection occurs may besimilar to the reflective surface 254 discussed previously. Morespecifically, referring to FIG. 2A in connection with FIG. 3, theoptical pathway of the field of view 338 of the barcode reading lenssystem and the targeting pattern 368 may be redirected from a firstdirection 260 that is perpendicular to the back surface 364 of themobile device 302 to a second direction 262 that intersects with aregion of space where a barcode is located.

FIG. 4 is a top-down, cross-sectional view illustrating some componentsof a mobile device 402 and some components of a shield portion 418 of apresentation stand 100 in accordance with another embodiment of thepresent disclosure. The embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is similar to theembodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 2A, except as indicated below.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the mobile device 402 includes afirst illumination source 432 a and a second illumination source 432 b.The first illumination source 432 a may be a white light source aspreviously described. The second illumination source 432 b may be, forexample, a red or blue LED.

The illumination optic system includes an illumination optic system lens436 a. The illumination optic system also includes a target generatingstructure 466. When the mobile device 402 is being held in the cradleportion 110 of the presentation stand 100, the illumination optic systemlens 436 a is at least partially aligned with the first illuminationsource 432 a of the mobile device 402, and the target generatingstructure 466 is at least partially aligned with the second illuminationsource 432 b of the mobile device 402.

As noted above, the combined illumination system that is formed by theillumination optic system lens 436 a and the first illumination source432 a may be referred to herein as an exposure illumination system. Theillumination optic system lens 436 a may be configured to modify thefield of illumination 444 a emitted by the first illumination source 432a such that the angular size of the field of illumination 446 emitted bythe exposure illumination system is different from the angular size ofthe field of illumination 444 a emitted by the first illumination source432 a.

The target generating structure 466 may be configured to modify thefield of illumination 444 b that is emitted by the second illuminationsource 432 b to generate a targeting pattern 468. In other words, thetarget generating structure 466 may be configured so that the field ofillumination 444 b that is emitted by the illumination source 432 b isshaped by the target generating structure 466 into a targeting pattern468. The target generating structure 466 may be configured similarly tothe target generating structure 366 discussed previously, and mayinclude a filter (such as the filter 372) and one or more apertures(such as the apertures 370 a-b). In addition to the target generatingstructure 466, another lens 436 b within the illumination optic systemmay also modify the field of illumination 444 b emitted by the secondillumination source 432 b.

The reflective surface 454 is configured to redirect the optical pathwayof the field of view 438 of the barcode reading lens system, the fieldof illumination 446 emitted by the exposure illumination system, and thetargeting pattern 468. The manner in which redirection occurs may besimilar to the reflective surface 254 discussed previously. Morespecifically, referring to FIG. 2A in connection with FIG. 4, theoptical pathway of the field of view 438 of the barcode reading lenssystem, the field of illumination 446 emitted by the exposureillumination system, and the targeting pattern 468 may be redirectedfrom a first direction 260 that is perpendicular to the back surface 464of the mobile device 402 to a second direction 262 that intersects witha region of space where a barcode is located.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of some components within a mobile device 502that may be used with a presentation stand as disclosed herein. Any ofthe mobile devices 102, 202, 302, 402 that were previously described mayinclude some or all of the components in the mobile device 502 shown inFIG. 5.

The mobile device 502 includes a processor 574. The processor 574 may bea general purpose single- or multi-chip microprocessor (e.g., anAdvanced RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) Machine (ARM)), aspecial purpose microprocessor (e.g., a digital signal processor (DSP)),a microcontroller, a programmable gate array, etc. The processor 574 maybe referred to as a central processing unit (CPU). Although just asingle processor 574 is shown in the mobile device 502 of FIG. 5, in analternative configuration, a combination of processors (e.g., an ARM andDSP) could be used.

The mobile device 502 also includes memory 576 in electroniccommunication with the processor 601. The memory 576 may be anyelectronic component capable of storing electronic information. Forexample, the memory 576 may be embodied as random access memory (RAM),read-only memory (ROM), flash memory devices in RAM, on-board memoryincluded with the processor 574, erasable programmable read-only memory(EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM)memory, registers, and so forth, including combinations thereof.

The memory 576 includes an operating system 578, one or moreapplications including a barcode reading application 580, and an imagedata buffer 582. In operation, the processor 574 may executeinstructions embodied in the operating system 578 and each of theapplications, including the barcode reading application 580. One or morehardware circuits 584 interface the processor 574 with peripheralsystems including, but not limited to, a display screen 586 (which maybe a touchscreen), a camera assembly 526, an illumination source 532,and a hardwired peer-to-peer (P2P) communication interface 591.

The camera assembly 526 may include an image sensor 530, which is atwo-dimensional array of pixels with each pixel comprising an activephotosensitive region capable of measuring or quantifying the intensityof illumination incident on the pixel. The pixels of the image sensor530 may be fabricated using charge-coupled display (CCD) technology,complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology, or the like.The image sensor 530 may be capable of capturing color images. The imagesensor 530 may be positioned parallel to the face surface and the backsurface of the mobile device 502. The camera assembly 526 may alsoinclude a lens assembly 528 with an optical axis 588 orthogonal to theimage sensor 530 and defining a center line of a camera field of view540 extending outward from the back surface of the mobile device 502.

The lens assembly 528 may receive light reflected from objects withinthe camera field of view 540. The camera field of view 540 may have anangular size, which may be defined as the angle at which the camerafield of view 540 spreads with respect to distance from the lensassembly 528. The lens assembly 528 may have a camera aperture sizemeasured as an f-number. This is the ratio of the focal length of thelens assembly 528 to the diameter of the entrance pupil, which in thiscontext refers to the lens aperture (an aperture stop or an inherentaperture of the lens component defining the aperture) as viewed throughthe front of the lens assembly 528.

The image sensor 530 may be coupled to system-on-chip circuits 592 whichinclude an output module 594 and an auto-white balance module 596. Inone embodiment, the output module 594 controls the operation of theimage sensor 530 (e.g., exposure, gain, and coupling of pixels toanalog-to-digital (A/D) converters for image read out), formats thedigital intensity values of each pixel of the image sensor 530 for colorimage output, and makes the color image output available for writing tothe image data buffer 582.

In another embodiment, the output module 594 may perform imageprocessing on images captured by the image sensor 530. Control of theimage sensor 530 and image pre-processing are described in more detailin U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/717,112. The auto-white balancemodule 596 may perform auto-white balance algorithms on captured imagesto enhance the quality of color images captured by the image sensor 530under different illumination conditions. The digital image output 598(which may be an image, such as a color image, or a result of processingan image one or more times in accordance with the teachings of the Ser.No. 14/717,112 application) may be written to the image data buffer 582.The mobile device 502 may include a direct memory access (DMA) system599 which may be a part of the processor 574. The DMA system 599provides for direct writing of the digital image output 598 from thecamera assembly 526 to the image data buffer 582.

The mobile device 502 may further include a connector 593, which mayinclude a power connector 593 a and a data connector 593 b. When themobile device 502 is inserted into the cradle portion 110 of thepresentation stand 100, the connector 120 on the presentation stand 100may be connected to (e.g., inserted into) the connector 593 within themobile device 502. This enables electricity to be supplied to the mobiledevice 502 via the power connector 593 a. This may also facilitate datatransfer between the mobile device 502 and another computing device viathe data connector 593 b and, for example, the P2P communicationinterface 591. The P2P communication interface 591 may utilize UniversalAsynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART), USB, or similar communicationprotocols for communicating with a compatible system connected to thedata connector 593 b.

The mobile device 502 may further include a battery 597 and powercircuitry 595. In general the power circuitry 595 controls the chargingof the battery 597 from power received from an external power source viathe power connector 593 a. The power circuitry 595 provides operatingpower at the voltage and current drawing requirements of the variouscomponents of the mobile device 502 from the power received from thebattery 597 or the external power source (when connected to the externalpower source).

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram that illustrates a method 600 that may beperformed by a barcode reading application in a mobile device when apresentation stand is being used to enable the mobile device to readbarcodes in presentation mode. For the sake of clarity, the method 600will be described in relation to various components that have beendescribed previously, such as the presentation stand 100 shown in FIG.1, the shield portion 218 and the mobile device 202 shown in FIG. 2, andthe barcode reading application 580 shown in FIG. 5.

At least some operations of the method 600 may be performed after amobile device 202 has been secured to the presentation stand 100.Securing the mobile device 202 to the presentation stand 100 may involveplacing the mobile device 202 within the cradle portion 110 of thepresentation stand 100 such that the bottom portion of the mobile device202 rests on the ledge 114 and the gripping members 116 a-b fit securelyaround the sides of the mobile device 202. Prior to the depicted stepsof the method 600, the mobile device 202 may be outside of thepresentation stand 100.

At some point (either before or after the mobile device 202 is securedto the presentation stand 100), the barcode reading application 580 maybe placed 601 in presentation mode. Prior to being placed in thepresentation mode, the barcode reading application 580 may be in atrigger mode. In trigger mode, barcodes are read in response to userinput. In presentation mode, barcodes are read automatically when theyare detected within the field of view 238 of the barcode reading lenssystem (e.g., the combination of the camera lens 228 and the cameraoptic system lens 234 in the shield portion 218 of the presentationstand 100). Thus, when the barcode reading application 580 is inpresentation mode, the barcode reading application 580 may continuouslyattempt to detect a barcode within the field of view 238 of the barcodereading lens system. More specifically, the barcode reading application580 may cause 603 the camera 226 to continuously capture images. Thebarcode reading application 580 may process 605 the captured images andattempt to detect a barcode therein.

The barcode reading application 580 may be placed in presentation modein a number of ways. As an example, the barcode reading application 580may receive an input (e.g., a user input) including an indication orinstructions to engage presentation mode. For instance, prior to placingthe mobile device 102 on the presentation stand 100, the barcode readingapplication 580 may detect a user input to engage a presentation modeafter which the mobile device 102 may be placed on the cradle portion110 of the stand 100.

Alternatively, in one or more implementations, the barcode readingapplication 580 may engage the presentation mode in response todetecting proximity of the stand 100 or otherwise determining that themobile device 102 is in a position to commence reading barcodes 104 onthe surface 112 of the base portion 106 of the stand 100. As an example,the base portion 106 may include a configuration pattern designed orotherwise displayed on the surface 112 of the base portion 106 that thebarcode reading application 580 is configured to detect. In response todetecting the configuration pattern, the barcode reading application 580may engage the presentation mode. The barcode reading application 580may detect the configuration pattern before the mobile device 102 hasbeen placed in the cradle portion 110 of the presentation stand 100. Forexample, a user may hold the mobile device 102 over the base portion 106so that the configuration pattern appears in the field of view of thecamera of the mobile device 102 and is detected by the barcode readingapplication 580. Alternatively, the barcode reading application 580 maydetect the configuration pattern after the mobile device 102 has beenplaced in the cradle portion 110 of the presentation stand 100. In thiscase, the configuration pattern may be reflected off one or morereflective surfaces within the shield portion 118 so that theconfiguration pattern appears in the field of view of the camera of themobile device 102 and is detected by the barcode reading application580. Regardless of where the mobile device 102 is located when theconfiguration pattern is detected, the barcode reading application 580may engage the presentation mode. The same configuration pattern may bedetected repeatedly. If this occurs, the barcode reading application 580may simply remain in presentation mode.

The barcode reading application 580 may additionally disengage from thepresentation mode when the mobile device 100 is no longer in the cradleportion 110 of the stand 100. For example, where the barcode readingapplication 580 fails to detect a configuration pattern on the surface112 of the base portion 106 of the stand or fails to detect aconfiguration pattern displayed on the mobile device 102 for a thresholdperiod of time (e.g., a predetermined duration of time or a thresholdnumber of sequentially captured images), the barcode reading application580 may disengage from the presentation mode (e.g., engage a triggermode) and cease causing the camera 226 to continuously capture images.

When a barcode is detected 607 within a captured image, the barcodereading application 580 may, in response, activate 609 one or moreillumination sources 232. The additional illumination provided by theillumination source(s) 232 may serve as a signal to a user that abarcode has been detected. The additional illumination may also enhancethe quality of subsequently captured images, thereby making it easier todecode the detected barcode.

In addition to activating 609 the illumination source(s) 232, thebarcode reading application 580 may also attempt 611 to decode thebarcode that has been detected in the captured image. If the barcodereading application 580 determines 613 that decoding is successful, thenthe barcode reading application 580 may output 615 decoded data. Thismay involve displaying the decoded data on a display screen of themobile device 202 and/or sending the decoded data to another computingdevice (e.g., via the P2P communication interface 591 and the dataconnector 593 b) to be displayed there.

If the barcode reading application 580 determines 613 that decoding isnot successful, then the barcode reading application 580 may attempt 617to decode the barcode in another captured image. These operations may berepeated until the barcode is successfully decoded or until some eventoccurs which indicates that additional decoding efforts should bediscontinued (e.g., a barcode is no longer detected within the field ofview 238 of the barcode reading lens system).

FIG. 7 illustrates a presentation stand 700 in accordance with anotherembodiment of the present disclosure. The embodiment shown in FIG. 7 issimilar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, except as discussed below.

As in the presentation stand 100 shown in FIG. 1, the presentation stand700 shown in FIG. 7 includes a base portion 706 and a cradle portion 710connected to the base portion 706. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7,however, there is a first arm portion 708 a that extends upward in asubstantially vertical direction from the base portion 706, a second armportion 708 b that extends outward in a substantially horizontaldirection and connects to the cradle portion 710, and a third armportion 708 c that connects the first arm portion 708 a and the secondarm portion 708 b.

The second arm portion 708 b connects to the cradle portion 710 via aswivel joint 789. The swivel joint 789 is configured so that it can berotated. This allows the mobile device 702 to be rotated into differentpositions. Several different positions are shown in FIG. 7.

In the foregoing discussion, the phrase “at least partially aligned” wassometimes used to describe an object in a mobile device (e.g., a cameralens 228) and an optical component in the shield portion of apresentation stand (e.g., a camera optic system lens 234). In thiscontext, the phrase “at least partially aligned” refers to anarrangement of the object and the optical component in which it ispossible to draw a straight line that (i) is perpendicular to the frontand/or back surfaces of the mobile device, and (ii) passes through theobject and the optical component. For example, referring to FIG. 2, thecamera optic system lens 234 and the illumination optic system lens 236are at least partially aligned with one another because it is possibleto draw a straight line that is perpendicular to the back surface 264 ofthe mobile device 202 and still passes through both of these lenses 234,236. In fact, the lenses 234, 236 in FIG. 2 are mostly if not completelyaligned, and one or both the lenses 234, 236 could be moved somewhat andstill be considered to be partially aligned as that phrase is usedherein.

For purposes of the present disclosure, two objects may be considered tobe “connected” or “attached” to one another even if they are notdirectly connected or attached. In other words, two objects may beconsidered to be connected or attached to one another even if they donot directly touch one another and there are one or more other itemsthat join or link the objects together. For example, referring to thepresentation stand 100 in FIG. 1, the cradle portion 110 is connected orattached to the base portion 106, even though the cradle portion 110 isnot directly touching the base portion 106 and the arm 108 is locatedbetween the cradle portion 110 and the base portion 106.

The term “substantially” refers to an amount of something that isconsiderable or significant, even if it is not necessarily complete orabsolute. For example, the arm 108 of the presentation stand 100 shownin FIG. 1 extends substantially upward from the base portion 106 of thepresentation stand 100 because the arm 108 is mostly pointing upward,although the arm 108 is not fully oriented in a vertical direction. Insome embodiments, a device member (e.g., the arm 108 of the presentationstand 100 shown in FIG. 1) may be said to be extending substantiallyupward (or extending upward in a substantially vertical direction) if atleast some portion of the device member is oriented within 1° of avertical direction. In other embodiments, a device member may be said tobe extending substantially upward if at least some portion of the devicemember is oriented within 10° of a vertical direction. In still otherembodiments, a device member may be said to be extending substantiallyupward if at least some portion of the device member is oriented within30° of a vertical direction.

Similarly, a device member (e.g., the second arm portion 708 b of thepresentation stand 700 shown in FIG. 7) may be said to be extendingoutward in a substantially horizontal direction if at least some portionof the device member is oriented within 1° of a horizontal direction. Inother embodiments, a device member may be said to be extending outwardin a substantially horizontal direction if at least some portion of thedevice member is oriented within 10° of a horizontal direction. In stillother embodiments, a device member may be said to be extending outwardin a substantially horizontal direction if at least some portion of thedevice member is oriented within 30° of a horizontal direction.

The steps, operations, and/or actions of the methods described hereinmay be interchanged with one another without departing from the scope ofthe claims. In other words, unless a specific order of steps,operations, and/or actions is required for proper functioning of themethod that is being described, the order and/or use of specific steps,operations, and/or actions may be modified without departing from thescope of the claims.

The term “determining” (and grammatical variants thereof) encompasses awide variety of actions and, therefore, “determining” can includecalculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up(e.g., looking up in a table, a database or another data structure),ascertaining and the like. Also, “determining” can include receiving(e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in amemory) and the like. Also, “determining” can include resolving,selecting, choosing, establishing and the like.

The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to beinclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than thelisted elements. Additionally, it should be understood that referencesto “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” of the present disclosure are notintended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additionalembodiments that also incorporate the recited features. For example, anyelement or feature described in relation to an embodiment herein may becombinable with any element or feature of any other embodiment describedherein, where compatible.

The present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from its spirit or characteristics. The described embodimentsare to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope ofthe disclosure is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims ratherthan by the foregoing description. Changes that come within the meaningand range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within theirscope.

What is claimed is:
 1. A presentation stand for enabling a mobile deviceto read barcodes in presentation mode, the mobile device comprising acamera and a first illumination source, the presentation standcomprising: a base portion; a cradle portion connected to the baseportion, the cradle portion being configured to hold the mobile devicein a position for reading a barcode; and a shield portion attached tothe cradle portion, the shield portion being configured to modify afield of view of the camera and a field of illumination of the firstillumination source, the shield portion comprising: a camera opticsystem that is at least partially aligned with the camera of the mobiledevice when the mobile device is held in the cradle portion; and anillumination optic system that is at least partially aligned with thefirst illumination source of the mobile device when the mobile device isheld in the cradle portion.